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Using Knowledge Management Software

Effectively maintain and share information by using knowledge management software

By Apryl Beverly
Using knowledge management software helps you make good use of your company’s most important intellectual capital – the information possessed by employees. Knowledge management is defined as the distribution and maintenance of vital information and knowledge possessed by individuals employed by a particular organization.

The basic principle of knowledge management software is to distribute knowledge in a consistent and user-friendly format to the appropriate person in a timely manner to complete a specific business task. Consider the following tips to help you determine if using knowledge management software is the right choice for your company.
  1. Outline your goals for using knowledge management software.
  2. Evaluate knowledge management application options.
  3. Determine how to choose providers of knowledge management software.

 

Assess your need for knowledge management software

The first step in choosing the right knowledge management solution is identifying how you plan to use the software. This will help you to avoid overspending for functionality you may never use. To ultimately succeed, your knowledge management system must be complemented by company wide support of the implementation.
Try: Read more about how to use knowledge management software to benefit your company by visiting TechSoup. Learn more about knowledge management solutions by checking out information provided by The Data Management Newsletter.

Find out more about KM software functionality

Knowledge management software isn't one size fits all. Knowledge management software allows companies to document organizational intelligence so that it can be used by authorized users across all offices and departments. A good knowledge management application is one that assists with knowledge generation, storage and distribution. Many software providers will offer templates to help with consistent distribution of data, provide alerts to update users on edited or revised documents and provide tools to classify data.
Try: Find out about KM software features at infoRouter. Check out CIO for additional information about knowledge management software.

Compare providers of KM software solutions

It's important to review knowledge management software applications closely and choose a system that will be user-friendly and accepted by your staff and management. The most productive knowledge management system is one that increases efficiency and helps you to improve time management. To do this, you may need a basic handheld tool that can be used to synchronize your data or you may benefit from Web-based KM software.
Try: Review a directory of knowledge management software vendors at Forbes Magazine. You can also find a listing of KM solutions providers through helpdesk.com.

 

  • While implementing knowledge management systems is a step in the right direction to ensure individual knowledge is beneficial for the entire company, your implementation process can't stop there. It must be combined with a cultural change that creates clear processes identifying how data is stored, managed, generated and shared in manner that's consistently beneficial to the company.

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